How To Protect Your Nashville Home From Carpenter Ants

When you think of the word "carpenter" what do you think of? If you are like most folks, you probably have images of a rugged looking guy wearing Carhartts, wielding a hammer, and standing on a ladder. He is building, or fixing, something, right? Well, carpenter ants do exactly the opposite. They cause damage to buildings by carving out tunnels and galleries inside wooden structures, potentially causing major problems.

Are Carpenter Ants As Bad As Termites?

While it is a well-known fact that termites cost United States home and business owners billions of dollars each and every year, carpenter ant damages ring up in the millions. If a carpenter ant infestation is allowed to go untreated, year after year, a lot of damage can be done. It is best to have a qualified, professional, pest control company do an inspection and take care of your carpenter ant problem before it gets out of hand.

Carpenter Ant Indicators And Damage

If you have these wood-destroying ants chewing away at your equity, you will probably see evidence of their presence long before you see the actual damage they cause.

Indicators

• Little piles of wood shavings underneath wooden items. These ants do not eat wood, so they need to put the tiny pieces somewhere. They kick this "frass" out of "kickout holes" where they make little piles.

• Flying ants. If you see these crawling around, you may have an infestation inside your walls.

• Large black ants crawling around. If you see one or two of these ants exploring your kitchen, there are likely hundreds, or even thousands, crawling around inside your walls.

Damage

• Carpenter ants damage wood by the tunnels and galleries they create. Carpenter ants do not actually eat they wood, they simply tunnel through it, in doing so, the structural integrity of your home will be compromised.

• If carpenter ant damage is allowed to continue for many years, structural problems can occur. This may mean that windows and doors no longer function properly and walls, ceilings, and floors develop warping.

Prevention Tips

• Fill in all gaps, cracks, and holes in your foundation and outer walls. This will go a long way toward keeping all kinds of ants and other household pests, out of your home.

• Eliminate moisture problems around your perimeter. Moisture can soften the wood of your home, which makes it easier for carpenter ants, termites, and other pests to chew their way in.

• Eliminate food sources by cleaning up food spills and crumbs inside your home. Carpenter ants do not need to find food inside your home to set up housekeeping in your walls, but it is convenient for them and could give them a food source to allow them to be active in the winter.

Carpenter ants are only one of many pest ants we deal with in Middle TN. We've compiled a simple list to help you understand which ants you may be dealing with. Ants can be difficult to identify. If you need assistance from a trained professional, give us a call. We'll help you determine which ants you are dealing and, more importantly, how to get rid of them!